The New York Jets are just weeks away from starting their offseason work, and all eyes will be on quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Florham Park, N.J. He is returning from a season-ending ruptured Achilles suffered on his fourth snap of the 2023 season. NFL fans are anxious to see what the Jets will finally become with the four-time MVP at quarterback. If he stays healthy, his presence could make the Jets contenders in the AFC for the first time since they went to back-to-back AFC championship games in 2009 and 2010.
Considering the team’s recent history, it would mean a lot to the Jets and their fans for the team to be in the mix again. They have the longest playoff drought in the NFL and the big four American sports at 13 seasons, primarily due to the inability of a stable quarterback since Mark Sanchez. They have gone through numerous drafts to find a good fit under center: Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson are recent examples that fell through. But even with one of the worst quarterback situations in the league last year, when Wilson, Trevor Siemian and Tim Boyle all put up subpar numbers, the Jets managed seven wins, largely thanks to their third-ranked defense. They rebuilt their offensive line in the offseason and added Mike Williams to complement Garrett Wilson at wide receiver. The Jets need a sure thing at quarterback and the already Hall of Fame-bound Rodgers can provide just that. If he is anything like he was pre-injury, the Jets will be a threat to the rest of the conference. He is incredibly resilient and is known to play through injuries in the past, including a broken thumb in 2022. This trait will be essential to the team’s success even as he reaches his 40s. In an even simpler sense, Rodgers has the experience. He has been at the top and knows what it takes to get there. He can lead this team as close to the promised land as they were under Sanchez the last time they sniffed the playoffs. The Jets then must put up with Rodgers, the person, to reap the benefits of Rodgers, the player.
Yes, the Aaron Rodgers Experience comes with his many antics. He publicly shares conspiracy theories on tragic events in American history and dabbles in experimental medicine, including psychedelics. He has repeatedly questioned the COVID-19 vaccine and mocked star Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce for his Pfizer partnership. The New York Times also recently reported he was on the shortlist of running mates for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a fellow anti-vaxxer, which likely would have required Rodgers to leave the Jets and join the campaign trail.
We can all have our opinions on Rodgers, the person. But it is undeniable that Rodgers, the player, is one of the best quarterbacks of his generation, and any team would be lucky to have him on the field. Coaches and teammates have spoken highly of him, and it’s clear he fits in with the Jets even though he has yet to play a full game, let alone a complete offensive series, with them. On the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers and company were perennial contenders throughout his 18 seasons, winning Super Bowl XLV with Rodgers as the game’s MVP. For a team like the Jets, who last won the Super Bowl with Joe Namath in 1969, Rodgers, even with his controversial statements, is a breath of fresh air.
It is also important to emphasize that Rodgers has never gotten into legal trouble. He is eccentric and controversial, but as far as we know, he is not a dangerous person. In a league where Deshaun Watson, who at one point had 22 civil lawsuits against him by women claiming sexual harassment and assault, is allowed to quarterback the Cleveland Browns, there is no reason for the Jets to stop Rodgers from doing his job for them.
People can choose whether or not to listen to Rodgers on off-the-field issues. The only thing the Jets and their fans should be relying on Rodgers for is strong quarterback performances for a team that has been desperate for that very thing for so long. Watching a 10-time Pro Bowler under center will be like night and day compared to what the Jets have run out in recent years. If the Jets make a playoff run with Rodgers this season, the focus will be on how badly the Jets need him, and he will be a source of celebration rather than controversy.
